


We'll Take a Cup of Kindness Yet

by RobinsonsWereHere



Series: Interpretations of Silence [2]
Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Family Fluff, Fireworks, Gen, I wrote this in 20 mins it's not even proofread, New Year's Eve, deaf!Iris, i've decided karen is from detroit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22063864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinsonsWereHere/pseuds/RobinsonsWereHere
Summary: While visiting family in Detroit, Karen shows Iris a New Year's tradition from her own childhood.
Relationships: Barbara Dunlap & Karen Vick, Iris Vick & Barbara Dunlap, Iris Vick & Karen Vick, Karen Vick/Richard Vick
Series: Interpretations of Silence [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569124
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	We'll Take a Cup of Kindness Yet

**Author's Note:**

> I just had this idea at like 12:30 so I... wrote it. I didn't contact my sensitivity reader bc I wanted to get this posted, so please please please let me know if I get something wrong! Also, this is set a few years after the first work in this series (so, a few years after PTM). Essentially, it's NYE 2019.

Iris follows her mother and her aunt up the staircase, which is dark and dusty and winds up six stories. She’s out of breath by the fourth landing. Choosing not to waste her breath on talking, she moves her hands loosely through ASL, which comes easily to her by now. “Why don’t we take the elevator?”

Her aunt laughs and jerks a thumb towards her mother, who claps her on the shoulder. “Exercise is good for you,” she signs. “Barb and I raced up these stairs all the time.”

Iris rolls her eyes, making her opinion known, but when they keep going, she follows. Soon enough, they come to the door to the roof, which Karen has to ram with her shoulder before it opens. “Always needed oil,” she says, her hands moving at the same time as her lips.

Iris bounds excitedly out onto the roof, staring down at the city of Detroit below. It glimmers in the night, looking far more alive than she’d expect at a quarter to midnight, Then again, on New Year’s Eve, that’s to be expected.

“It’s gonna be a new decade, Iris,” Aunt Barbara tells her, her own sign language rougher than Karen’s or Iris’s. “What’s your New Year’s Resolution?”

Iris shrugs. “I wanna play high school soccer, but they probably won’t let me.”

Karen joins them, raising an eyebrow at Iris. “What was that?”

“I probably won’t make the varsity soccer team,” Iris signs again. “They won’t let me play if I can’t hear the whistle.”

Her mom’s eyes roll up to the sky, but irritation does not completely hide her anger. “Bullshit.”

“I’ll drink to that,” agrees Aunt Barb, before turning away to pull champagne and plastic cups from a cooler. She says something aloud to Karen, but watching only her profile, Iris can’t read her lips. Before she can ask what they’re talking about, her mom and aunt turn to look behind her, so Iris does, too. Sure enough, her dad is striding across the roof, blankets in hand.

Once he’s wrapped one around each woman, he grins and begins to recount his adventure. Apparently, the car alarm had gone off when he’d tried to open it to get the blankets, and had set off most of the floor of the parking garage, That had been a whole mess, and by the time he was done with security there, it was a quarter past eleven. He’d grabbed the blankets and run, but been in such a hurry that he dropped them three times. Finally, he’d tried the wrong apartment building.

Aunt Barb throws her head back and laughs as Iris’ mom rolls her eyes affectionately. Champagne is offered, Barbara once again speaking without signing. Iris doesn’t mind much; it’s clear from context. She tugs on her father’s sleeve. “Can I have some?”

The head shakes, signs, and lip-read words all tell her no. Iris shrugs. “Worth a shot.” She holds a straight face for five seconds before dissolving into giggles.

Karen pulls her onto her lap, wrapping the blanket around them and kissing her hair. Her hands reach in front of Iris, so Iris can see what she’s saying, though her facial expressions would aid interpretation. “When Barb was nineteen, and I was seventeen, we snuck up here for New Year’s Eve. She wanted to go out with her friends, but our parents said no. That was how she protested, I guess, though I have no idea why I was involved. Anyway, there was quite a lot of champagne involved, despite the fact that neither of us were twenty-one. I’m surprised we didn’t fall off the roof.”

Iris giggles again. “Mom!” she gasps dramatically, speaking aloud for greater effect. Next to them, Richard clasps a hand to his heart, pretending to fan himself in shock.

“Yeah, yeah, keep laughing,” Karen signs. “You’ll miss the fireworks.

They all count down on their fingers, even Aunt Barb. Iris and her parents use the ASL numbers out of habit. Iris watches the illuminated billboards eagerly, following their countdowns even as she counts, too, When the clock strikes midnight, fireworks erupt from the skyline. She gasps in delight.

“Happy New Year, Iris,” her mom signs, hugging her close. On the other side, her dad grins. “Welcome to 2020.”

“Fresh year, fresh start, kid,” Aunt Barb offers. “I know you’re gonna make that soccer team.”

Iris laughs, tugs the blanket further around her, and looks back up at the sky.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, and happy new year! leave a comment or kudos, or find me on tumblr at trixiesfranklin!


End file.
